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Twsbi: In Case You Have Problem With Your Twsbi Pen


speedy

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I have to say I am thankful for both sides of the TWSBI story being shared - I read this and other threads carefully before pulling the trigger and notwithstanding my fellow Aussies having problems with their pens I have now purchased 2 TWSBIs - an amber 540 Bold which is just stunning but too thick a line for my taste and today I received a 580 Fine which is fantastic too.

 

Both pens were opened and loaded up immediately with Noodlers Bulletproof Polar Blue ink. No pre-washing, flushing, rinsing or priming. No lizards were harmed nor chicken blood spilt. No secret FPN incantations or other prayers. Just loaded up from the box and put to work. And I mean work - these pens are my legal drafting, editing and signing pens.

 

Both worked out of the box. They are both smooth, wet writers and have given me less up-front hassles than my Lamys, Namiki and even a few of my custom nibs tuned by the best in the world.

 

That said - everyone needs to think very carefully, caveat emptor, before buying cheap pens from the other side of the world...

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While I too do not live in the US, and have had problems with some of my TWSBI pens, Philip has been very good about solving the problems. I sent them 2 pens back for repairs - 1 came back fixed, i still not fixed. At that point, they sent me a spare nib unit for free.

 

I'm not that thrilled about their QC, but I've had nothing but positive experiences with their service.

 

I am resigned to generally paying for international shipping in case I need to send anything back for repairs. That is pretty much SOP. So while I can see the OP's point that it sucks to pay so much in shipping, I dont think TWSBI is unique in that regard. And while it would have been great if they had offered to pay for round trip int'l shipping, I wouldnt really expect it or be upset if they didnt.

 

As for the rest of it, at some point, I think it may have escalated based on cultural perceptions or differing viewpoints. Certainly, that is quite unusual for TWSBI.

Edited by de_pen_dent

True bliss: knowing that the guy next to you is suffering more than you are.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a few 540's, a vac700, a mini. Email exchanges with a Philip Wang were prompt and he followed up quickly adjusting my order.

 

Shipping these pens back makes no sense to me as costs of shipping, customs forms, etc really make these pens disposable from my view point.....therein is the rub. If you bought a bad bic pen or two you may be indifferent at 29-35 cents a pen. So far my TWSBI pens all worked. The 540 and Mini work the best...all did require by me a nib adjustment in all cases to make the pen wetter. I have seem some hairline cracks on one pen and will make it a parts pen when it goes after 2 years.

Rob Maguire (Plse call me "M or Mags" like my friends do...)I use a Tablet, Apple Pencil and a fountain pen. Targas, Sailor, MB, Visconti, Aurora, vintage Parkers, all wonderful.

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Hi,

 

I think that when it comes down to it, email isn't a perfect system. I've had cases when lots of emails from certain senders seem to get "lost" or disappear without explanation or not even end up in my spam folder. Gmail has an automatic filter that removes messages that are "definitely" spam, but it puts the rest of the messages that are like spam but not into the junk folder. It's better than most, granted, but I had a time in uni where all of my professor's emails got lost or tossed into my spam.

 

Also, TWSBI nibs are made by Jowo or Bock. I'm pretty sure the nib collars and feeds aren't made by them either. Most manufacturers are like this, they buy their nibs from Jowo or Bock. In these nibs, baby bottoms and other defects are from the Jowo or Bock and not usually the manufacturer of the pen itself. Sometimes it can be difficult to track a problem with the nibs and feeds of these things until some time has passed. I don't know if anyone remembers the whole fiasco about six years ago when many companies that use the Bock #6 nib got a run of defective feeds for their pens. Among the affected were Taccia, Stipula, and Bexley and a number of other brands. Nibs would just stop writing randomly and stop and start erratically, be starved, or start skipping. These were very frustrating, and many people swore off certain brands of pens, and I spent months trying to figure out what could be done to these feeds. In the ends, I requested a stockpile of new feeds, and I replaced feeds that had the issue that came into my shop. I, of course, had customers who were sick of sending their pens back and forth and just got rid of them. This is one of the things that happened to TWSBI with the Vac 700 initially. Baby-bottomed nibs are another matter altogether. Oftentimes, it is much better to send these to someone who can inspect and test the nibs and is skilled enough to fix them well. Many times, people send baby bottomed nibs to the manufacturer get something just as faulty when they get their pens back since those are nibs the company was provided. The worse though is if the company makes their own nibs and have a tendency to put out a lot of baby bottomed nibs. I think baby-bottomed nibs are the plague of newer pens. Although many pens don't come with them, many do as well. Sometimes I wonder if it is caused because people expect nibs that are buttery smooth, and some manufacturers of nibs overcompensate by overpolishing their nibs to the point that they over round off edges that are supposed to be more squared yet only slightly rounded.

 

Here are some nib tips to compare.

 

First, one that is too sharp on the edges. The sharp edges cut into the paper. This type isn't so common.

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3676/9229823919_69c12739d4_b.jpg

 

Now, for a normal nib. Both tines are level, and there is very slight rounding to the edges of the nib slit. The rounding is slightly exaggerated here. More toothy nibs have that part rounded off slightly so that they don't cut paper but have more feedback. These don't skip.

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3813/9232606726_a2c1e1a6a7_b.jpg
Now, for a baby-bottomed nib. Make note of the blue line that shows what needs to be ground away to fix this nib. Also note the pink empty space. Ink cannot go through this empty space.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5467/9229825569_83d17bfaec_b.jpg

 

Now for a misaligned nib. Make note that the rounder the edges, the smoother the nib will be even if the tines are misaligned. Sometime I wonder if since the baby bottom phenomenon allows nibs that are out of alignment to still write without cutting the paper, manufacturers tend to make baby bottomed nibs so that they don't need to worry about aligning their nibs precisely. Also note the empty space. Some of these skip too. In most cases, they just cut the paper.

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5543/9229826427_8c86cef0ea_b.jpg

 

I think this a big issue we face. Make note that people often say that Aurora nibs tend to be more toothy. They tend to round their edges less. I've found though, that in most cases, realignment of the nib often results in a buttery smooth nib that never skips, even in the worse conditions. All of my Auroras, and I have many, both vintage and new are very smooth pens. I didn't regrind any of them. My Montblanc on the other hand has a completely reground nib tip since the original was severely baby-bottomed. Make note that nibs can be made out of alignment just by screwing in the nib unit. I always realign nibs first off the pens to set the general alignment, then do fine tuning once the nib has been set and installed to ensure everything is in alignment. Also note that nibs can have perfectly polished surfaces and still write without skipping. All of my pens that I have reground or own have perfectly mirror-finished surfaces, but none of them skip at all. Also note that there is a continuum of possibilities between sharp, normal, and baby-bottomed. The corner radius of the edges of the tips can vary, and there is no single formula for all nibs. How rounded the inside of the tip can be before the pen skips varies depending on the feed installed as well as the width and taper of the nib slit. One must know what exactly what they are doing when adjusting nibs. I also recommend using old film without an emulsion or plastics to adjust the nib slit of amateurs instead of using a razor blade. Damage to the interior surfaces of the nib slit is difficult if possible to repair and can cause other problems besides cosmetic damage. Plastic can be more gentle and more effective at solving the problem. If you need some plastic shims from emulsionless developed photography film, I still shoot film in addition to digital, and I can probably drop a few small pieces in the mail for you to help you out.

 

In the end, I think these problems, especially nib problems can be hard to figure out without some experience. I wonder why some companies like Pilot have an incredibly high yield rate of good nibs, especially such that they can make disposable fountain pens with excellent quality tipped nibs. In all their pens that I have seen with fine nibs, very few of them needed adjustment to write smoothly without skipping out of the box. In fact, none of the Pilot pens in my collection, whether modern or vintage, needed any adjustment to write well, and I haven't adjusted them at all since they somehow came out of the box all perfect. I think they must be doing something right. I have had good luck with Montblanc pens made by Mutschler, but a lot less luck with their modern nibs. Montblanc nibs are the ones I see most often for adjustments instead of regrinds. I see far more Bock and Jowo nibs for custom regrinds since many pens have them (most of them were writing perfectly. The owner just wanted them to write differently). I'm a Pelikan dealer, and with Pelikan, depending on the age of the pen and type of nib, different nibs have different tendencies. In many cases, there are runs of nibs that happen to have certain tendencies over others but still are "in spec" but don't work properly. Also, since everyone is different, nibs are necessarily different as well, and one nib that doesn't work properly for one person might be okay for another person to use, and a nib that is too sharp for one person can be perfect for another. I happen to know someone who likes really sharp italics with only slightly rounded corners. They work really well and smoothly for me as well, and I can also write quickly with them, but most other people I know want more rounded off corners than I do and consider this person's perfect nib "too sharp." People have different writing pressures, different angles of attack, and different ranges of rotation that they put their nibs through. These must be all accounted for when making and grinding a nib for a customer. Last but not least, for professional work, the work has to look good as well as perform well. One should not be shy or embarrassed of posting huge macro images of nib tips that not only write well, but are are beautifully shaped and polished.

 

Dillon

Stolen: Aurora Optima Demonstrator Red ends Medium nib. Serial number 1216 and Aurora 98 Cartridge/Converter Black bark finish (Archivi Storici) with gold cap. Reward if found. Please contact me if you have seen these pens.

Please send vial orders and other messages to fpninkvials funny-round-mark-thing gmail strange-mark-thing com. My shop is open once again if you need help with your pen.

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What an informative post, thanks for the clear explanation and diagrams. I marvel at the variety of nibs I have that write beautifully, yet differently from each other. I think I'll try taking some macro photos of them and seeing what it it that makes them write so well

thanks again for this.

Andrew

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I'm very saddened to hear about the bad experience that AAN, msolok and some others have had.

 

My experience with their customer service has been quite different. As I explained in the other post (TWSBI 580 nib/feed problems) I also had the seemingly persistent problem of the flow drying up after the initial few sentences. This is definitely a QC issue and there is no justification for so many pens to have this problem. $50 is not a throwaway pen price after all, and the Lamy Al-Stars and Safaris, and the comparable priced pilots for example, seem to work fine all the time.

 

Anyway, the initial reaction I got to my email to TWSBI (I bought directly from their online store) was disappointing in the least. I was told (like another member here) to hold the tines together and squeeze into the paper. This was not a solution I was looking for, and predictably, it didnt work. After reading the entries in this and the other post, I thought that was it.

 

However, next morning I got a email form Rebecca stating a replacement nib-feed assembly will be mailed to me and subsequently this was done. So basically the problem was satisfactorily addressed in 12-16 hours which is really good.

 

The pen itself is fantastic. I like the crystal-like effects on the barrel, and it looks very nice with PR Plum ink inside it. Having nothing to lose (since replacement nib-feed is on the way), I dissembled it, and ran a razor down the channel of the feed. It seems to work much better now, and is very smooth and just appropriately wet. While this process ended well for me, it is not an excuse for poor QC, as it is unfair to expect customers to do this. It could easily go wrong and the tampering will give the retailer/manufacturer the way out of their warranty obligations.

 

My commendations of their service is not intended to detract from or be a rebuttal to the genuine problems faced by others, such AAN or msolok, in this forum in dealing with TWSBI directly. In fact, the inconsistency in treatment is concerning in its own way. However, I thought my positive experience should also be put out there for those who are totally turned off from purchasing TWSBI based on this post.

 

 

 

Shuddho

 

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I am one of those who based on this and some other posts have reversed my decision to buy TWSBI.

Frankly, your post does not make any difference in this decision: I think it illustrates the completely random way TWSBI responds to customers. What I'd taken away from all the posts in these threads is that, except if you're in the USA, where service seems to be excellent, you take your chances on getting acceptable service in case of a problem. That, given their mailing policies that have also been made clear, is just not good enough for me. In fact, it is a reason for me to stop buying from another vendor, not at all related, who also has an excellent reputation for customers in the USA - when you're not, his return policy sucks big time, and since I've now had two instances one right after the other, I have decided not to buy there anymore. Notwithstanding great prices, great selection of pens, and fast shipping.

a fountain pen is physics in action... Proud member of the SuperPinks

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I just had contact via E-mail with Philip Wang from customer service. He suggested me to send the pen back if I lived in the US and if not they could send me a new nib unit. I already mentioned I bought a replacement unit and that it didn't solve the problem, but it doesn't hurt to try another nib. I am very satisfied with how fast I received a reply from TWSBI, very satisfied with the Customer service so far. I hope this solves the problem.

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Well, it does seem to me that a few pointers are being picked up from the discussion, here, proving, to my mind, that it and others like it may have some added value. And very nice that TWSBI customer service is amending its policy about shipping replacements... Congratulations!

a fountain pen is physics in action... Proud member of the SuperPinks

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  On 7/12/2013 at 2:05 PM, mhguda said:

Well, it does seem to me that a few pointers are being picked up from the discussion, here, proving, to my mind, that it and others like it may have some added value. And very nice that TWSBI customer service is amending its policy about shipping replacements... Congratulations!

 

I agree, as long as they are doing it in a fair and consistent way. As long as everyone is being treated fairly and giving the same options I think it's a great thing.

 

Unfortunately TWSBI has yet to offer me the same option. In fact my last correspondence was when my partner tried to put in an order with TWSBI using my account. We got correspondence from TWSBI pretty quickly afterwards basically saying they don't want my custom and refunding the money.

<p>Currently collection:<strong>Lamy Safari's</strong> x5, <strong>Lamy Al Star's</strong> x3, <strong>Lamy Studio's </strong>x2, A <strong>Lamy 2000</strong>, <strong>Kaweco Sports/AL Sports</strong> x7, <strong>Noodlers pens (Konrad and Ahab)</strong> x10, <strong>Noodlers Konrad Ebonite</strong> x2, <strong>Hero 616</strong> x10, <strong>Reform 1745</strong> x10, <strong>Sailor 1911m</strong> x2, <strong>Sailor 1911 Realo</strong> x3, <strong>Sailor Pro Gear Realo</strong> x2, <strong>Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black</strong>, <strong>Sailor 1911 Sterling Silver</strong>, <strong>Visconti Opera Club Cherry Juice</strong> (M <span>Dreamtouch</span> Nib), <strong>Visconti Opera Elements </strong>x3 (Amber and Black with M <span>Dreamtouch</span> Nib, Blue with M Gold Nib), <strong>Visconti Homo Sapiens Steel Age Maxi</strong>, <strong>Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age</strong>, <strong>Montblanc 146 Le Grande</strong>... Plus I am sure I have forgotten some.

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Msolok, I'm glad you say that here - that too is important information for people who have not yet made the decision to buy.

It strengthens my conviction that I did the right thing in emptying my shopping cart and spending my pen money elsewhere.

But it does not seem very fair to me that a customer who insists on their rights gets treated as persona non grata by a company that rode roughshod over those rights...

Well, luckily, there are other good pens. I hope you find many more that you do like, and that work better for you.

a fountain pen is physics in action... Proud member of the SuperPinks

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I'm not so sure I agree that it is the customer's "right" to demand only one side bear all costs for a transaction, regardless of the reason. It may be custom, it may be best for the company in terms of public relation, but unless prescribed by law, I sincerely doubt that it is a "right". If it IS prescribed by law, then it is up to the customer to make sure to enforce their rights through the proper legal avenues.

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It is easy to say that from the vantage point of the USA, where mailing your defective pen in does not cost about half of the pen new - and there is no other way of getting what you actually bought and paid for, a correctly working pen.

If sending the pen to the supplier or manufacturer costs half of what the pen cost, AND the pen is reasonably expensive (I do not think $50 or $70 for a fountainpen is cheap), and you have a choice of complying or eating your loss, you might look at this differently. But in any case, those kind of considerations make me personally shy away from TWSBI. I don't want to run this risk.

Also, note that others get a completely different treatment - they don't even have to mail the pen in, they just get a replacement for the defective part, and this choice was never offered to msolok. So, TWSBI arbitrarily gives some customers preferential treatment? I guess it's their right, but I'm glad to hear about it - I don't want to become their customer and find out down the line that they've decided I don't qualify for preferential treatment.

a fountain pen is physics in action... Proud member of the SuperPinks

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See, that's the contentious point. I don't consider it "preferential treatment" for a company to decide how much they will do, in the name of public relations or after sales service, according to how much it costs them.

Additionally, it seems like you think that it is ok for the company to have to "eat the loss", as compared to the customer. Why is that fair? IIRC, they offered to split the cost evenly for returning the pen, which is far more equitable.

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  On 7/13/2013 at 2:58 AM, Harlequin said:

See, that's the contentious point. I don't consider it "preferential treatment" for a company to decide how much they will do, in the name of public relations or after sales service, according to how much it costs them.

 

Additionally, it seems like you think that it is ok for the company to have to "eat the loss", as compared to the customer. Why is that fair? IIRC, they offered to split the cost evenly for returning the pen, which is far more equitable.

He bought the pen new. It never worked right. It was not a question of him having had the pen and damaged it, he bought their product, and it was not as advertised - it was not working right. In such a case, I think it eminently reasonable that the company eat the loss. He already paid for them to send him the pen. The pen should have a working nib. Additionally, their return policy is to use a very costly shipping method, by courier, IIRC.

And, for what it's worth, other pen sellers, when such a thing happens, have sent me a new pen upon receipt of my emailed complaint - without demanding I send them the pen. Yes, a less expensive pen, but still.

a fountain pen is physics in action... Proud member of the SuperPinks

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Just to play Devil's Advocate, I'll take TWSBI's side here (and notice this is purely hypothetical, I am not insinuating anything, so no one try to make my comments out to be doing that).

 

A customer claims he received 3 different pens with three different nibs and they were ALL faulty "from the box". TWSBI, I have to believe, is of the opinion that their pens passed their QC tests, as they said. So as far as they are concerned, the pens were working just fine when they left the factory/shipping point/whatever. Now, if that is the case, there are only three reasons why they wouldn't work when the customer gets them- something happened during shipping (not likely but possible), the customer messed each one up in succession but won't admit it (very likely), or magic (also not very likely). Expecting TWSBI to just bow down to every single, highly unlikely (in their opinion) instance of someone claiming that their product was 100% faulty across a spectrum of nibs and models, is simply naive.

 

Was that in fact the case here? No clue. But do I fault TWSBI for perhaps thinking that and balking at assuming the entire cost for everything like this customer wanted? Not at all. Additionally (and you can reread the threads to be sure, as I did), it was the customer in question who was keen on sending via courier, not TWSBI, so that point is completely invalid.

 

Simply put, unless I am mistaken, TWSBI's solution (which is probably pretty standard) is for the customer to send the pen back to them and they will repair or replace it. In this case, the customer wants special exceptions to be made b/c that solution is expensive for him and he doesn't trust the normal mail system. With a global customer base, it frankly is not TWSBI's problem where you live or if you trust your government's mail. IIRC, the pens were sent originally via FedEx perhaps to avoid issues like that. To even just send out replacement parts to someone they (more than likely) think messed up the nibs to begin with makes even less sense, since that kind of customer will do the same thing and then still demand a replacement or repair (sent at TWSBI's cost).

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I will point out at this stage that at no point did TWSBI ask for evidence or examples of this issue. They also failed to offer to cover half the cost of shipping until one of the last emails they sent me (never offered in my first lot of emails after I recieved the pens, and only offered after they had started ranting and raving at me). On top of this TWSBI also reneged on a promise to replace the nibs, in one email promising to send out new nib units and the next calling my a liar.I fully accept that some of the cost to have the pens repaired might be on me. But the issue became how TWSBI was treating me as a customer, how abusive they have become (especially when I wasn't asking thrm anything but simply illistrating there might be a current QC issue with the number of pens being reported with issues), and a general inconsistant manner of addressing issues (Some customers getting replacement nib units sent out without any issues, others getting a run around and left out of pocket and others again seeminglg being ignored).

 

Harlequin: See above. TWSBI did not offer to pay for half the shipping until very late in our emails. This was after they were ranting at me and after they had reneged on other things they had promised previously. The issue isn't the cost, it's TWSBI's treatment of some customers and the uneven way they deal with issues.

<p>Currently collection:<strong>Lamy Safari's</strong> x5, <strong>Lamy Al Star's</strong> x3, <strong>Lamy Studio's </strong>x2, A <strong>Lamy 2000</strong>, <strong>Kaweco Sports/AL Sports</strong> x7, <strong>Noodlers pens (Konrad and Ahab)</strong> x10, <strong>Noodlers Konrad Ebonite</strong> x2, <strong>Hero 616</strong> x10, <strong>Reform 1745</strong> x10, <strong>Sailor 1911m</strong> x2, <strong>Sailor 1911 Realo</strong> x3, <strong>Sailor Pro Gear Realo</strong> x2, <strong>Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black</strong>, <strong>Sailor 1911 Sterling Silver</strong>, <strong>Visconti Opera Club Cherry Juice</strong> (M <span>Dreamtouch</span> Nib), <strong>Visconti Opera Elements </strong>x3 (Amber and Black with M <span>Dreamtouch</span> Nib, Blue with M Gold Nib), <strong>Visconti Homo Sapiens Steel Age Maxi</strong>, <strong>Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age</strong>, <strong>Montblanc 146 Le Grande</strong>... Plus I am sure I have forgotten some.

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I said I wouldn't post on this issue anymore, but I can't resist just this quick one!

 

i bought my TWSBI pen, didn't work. I bought a second nib, it didn't work either. That's got to be a quality control issue.

 

When I contacted TWSBI for advice, not a refund or freebies, they ignored my first two emails then didn't address the actual points made in my friendly and polite email.

 

What sticks in my craw is that TWSBI are merrily promoting their products on FPN, but ignoring a proportion of customer complaints.

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The only Twsbi that I have is a new 540 given to me by a very dear friend from the USA last year, I have kept it safely, un-inked as a token of our friendship. I am very disappointed to read how TWSBI is treating some of the non US customers. Personally, IMO, I never saw the value in their pens, their engineering design choices and iterations and now with these kind of reports, I think they will never get my money.

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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There seems to be a little heated discussion starting up here again, by people not personally involved in the issue. I don't think it's necessarily fair without having read the emails to draw any conclusions other than that you may want to be careful buying from international companies who don't have domestic distributors.

 

The fact is they don't pay shipping in general. Nor does any other pen company I've dealt with. In the USA this is not generally a big deal. I understand that it may feel unfair to someone living in Australia (in this example) to have to pay a bigger shipping charge (although the shipping costing half the pen is in this case due to the customer's wanting a different shipping option and not the normal shipping method). There is still a disparity and it can feel unfair to pay more due to just where you happen to olive for the same service.

 

However, they offered to pay what would have been the regular amount of shipping, which as I've pointed out before is more than anyone gets from most pen companies. Someone from the US still pays all of their own shipping cost to the repair facility. (And some other companies insist the customer pay shipping both ways).

 

(One could make the argument that that could be considered preferential treatment since other customers don't get free shipping.)

 

I don't think it fair to assume that the pen faults were the fault of the customer (I know that's not what you were saying but it could be read that way if not read carefully) It does seem a statistical anomaly, but it could just as easily be due to them all coming from the same batch.

 

Edit : One can definitely see some trends with quality control and particular issues following certain pen lines. To their credit they have not denied these issues generally, and they do seem to have improved things with some nib issues and cracking with some pens. But I don't think anyone including TWSBi would be able to honestly consider their QC infallible :)

 

(Just a note here that I have had repairs done by TWSBI, and Stipula, and I returned a Kaweco to Jetpens. In all of these cases I paid the shipping to them and they paid the shipping back. I was very happy with all of these transactions. I have not heard of a pen company paying for shipping both ways in any other case.)

 

On the note of people getting inconsistent email communications, sometimes email is rejected at the SMTP gateway (without even getting to the email program to be sorted into the junk folder) just because of the IP address neighborhood it comes from. I think it might be a good idea for anyone who ever is told their emails aren't getting through to check with their email provider to make sure they aren't getting blocked. The same with what are called reverse DNS entries. Improper setup of these things can get your email rejected outright by some--but not all--email recipient servers. It can seem strange when some people get your emails fine and others don't, but it's all in the servers between you.

Edited by nomadhacker

http://stubblefield.me Inks Available for Sample Exchange: Noodler's Black, Blue Black, Apache Sunset, Private Reserve Black Cherry, Sherwood Green, Tanzanite, Velvet Black, De Atramentis Aubergine, J. Herbin Lie de The, 1670 Rouge Hematite, Bleu Ocean, Lamy Turquoise, Rohrer & Klingner Salix, Sheaffer Skrip Blue-Black, OS Red Rubber Ball, Parker Quink Blue (India version)

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      Oh well. In case of failure you can always wring the paper to have a nice -albeit somewhat stale- cup of coffee back.
    • T.D. Rabbit 2 Mar 10:20
      @Astronymus I could use cornstarch... Or i could distill it and make it very concentrated.
    • T.D. Rabbit 2 Mar 10:20
      @lamarax That's what I used! (In reply to black coffee).. But the milk might not be good at all for paper.
    • Grayfeather 2 Mar 0:08
      Good day, all.
    • Gertrude F 20 Feb 17:58
      Sorry think I posted this in the wrong place. Used to be a user, just re-upped. Be kind. 😑
    • Gertrude F 20 Feb 17:56
      Looking to sell huge lot of pretty much every Man 200 made - FP, BP, MP, one or two RBs. Does anyone have a suggestion for a bulk purhase house? Thanks - and hope this doesn't violate any rules.
    • lamarax 17 Feb 18:05
      Cappuccino should work. Frothy milk also helps to lubricate the nib. But it has to be made by a barista.
    • Astronymus 17 Feb 16:19
      YOu might need to thicken the coffee with something. I admit I have no idea with what. But I'm pretty sure it would work.
    • asnailmailer 3 Feb 17:35
      it is incowrimo time and only very few people are tempting me
    • lamarax 31 Jan 21:34
      Try black coffee. No sugar.
    • T.D. Rabbit 31 Jan 8:11
      Coffee is too light to write with though I've tried.
    • Astronymus 29 Jan 21:46
      You can use coffee and all other kinds of fluid with a glas pen. 😉
    • Roger Zhao 29 Jan 14:37
      chocolate is yummy
    • Bucefalo 17 Jan 9:59
      anyone sells vacumatic push button shafts
    • stxrling 13 Jan 1:25
      Are there any threads or posts up yet about the California Pen Show in February, does anyone know?
    • lamarax 10 Jan 20:27
      Putting coffee in a fountain pen is far more dangerous
    • asnailmailer 9 Jan 0:09
      Don't drink the ink
    • zug zug 8 Jan 16:48
      Coffee inks or coffee, the drink? Both are yummy though.
    • LandyVlad 8 Jan 5:37
      I hear the price of coffee is going up. WHich is bad because I like coffee.
    • asnailmailer Today 14:43
      time for a nice cup of tea
    • Just J 25 Dec 1:57
      @liauyat re editing profile: At forum page top, find the Search panel. Just above that you should see your user name with a tiny down arrow [🔽] alongside. Click that & scroll down to CONTENT, & under that, Profile. Click that, & edit 'til thy heart's content!
    • liapuyat 12 Dec 12:20
      I can't seem to edit my profile, which is years out of date, because I've only returned to FPN again recently. How do you fix it?
    • mattaw 5 Dec 14:25
      @lantanagal did you do anything to fix that? I get that page every time I try to go to edit my profile...
    • Penguincollector 30 Nov 19:14
      Super excited to go check out the PDX Pen Bazaar today. I volunteered to help set up tables. It should be super fun, followed by Xmas tree shopping. 😁
    • niuben 30 Nov 10:41
      @Nurse Ratchet
    • Nurse Ratchet 30 Nov 2:49
      Newbie here!!! Helloall
    • Emes 25 Nov 23:31
      jew
    • Misfit 9 Nov 2:38
      lantanagal, I’ve only seen that happen when you put someone on the ignore list. I doubt a friend would do that.
    • lantanagal 7 Nov 19:01
      UPDATE - FIXED NOW Exact message is: Requested page not available! Dear Visitor of the Fountain Pen Nuthouse The page you are requesting to visit is not available to you. You are not authorised to access the requested page. Regards, The FPN Admin Team November 7, 2024
    • lantanagal 7 Nov 18:59
      UPDATE - FIXED NOW Trying to send a pen friend a reply to a message, keep getting an error message to say I don't have access. Anyone any ideas? (tried logging our and back in to no avail)
    • Dr.R 2 Nov 16:58
      Raina’s
    • fireant 2 Nov 1:36
      Fine-have you had a nibmeister look at it?
    • carlos.q 29 Oct 15:19
      @FineFinerFinest: have you seen this thread? https://www.fountainpennetwor...nging-pelikan-nibs/#comments
    • FineFinerFinest 24 Oct 8:52
      No replies required to my complaints about the Pelikan. A friend came to the rescue with some very magnification equipment - with the images thrown to a latge high res screen. Technology is a wonderful thing. Thanks to Mercian for the reply. I had been using the same paper & ink for sometime when the "singing" started. I have a theory but no proof that nibs get damaged when capping the pen. 👍
    • Mercian 22 Oct 22:28
      @FineFinerFinest: sometimes nib-'singing' can be lessened - or even cured - by changing the ink that one is putting through the pen, or the paper that one is using. N.b. *sometimes*. Good luck
    • Bluetaco 22 Oct 22:04
      howdy
    • FineFinerFinest 21 Oct 5:23
      I'm not expecting any replies to my question about the singing Pelikan nib. It seems, from reading the background, that I am not alone. It's a nice pen. It's such a pity Pelikan can't make decent nibs. I have occasionally met users who tell me how wonderful their Pelikan nib is. I've spent enough money to know that not everyone has this experience. I've worked on nibs occasionally over forty years with great success. This one has me beaten. I won't be buying any more Pelikan pens. 👎
    • FineFinerFinest 21 Oct 4:27
      I've had a Pelikan M805 for a couple of years now and cannot get the nib to write without singing. I've worked on dozens of nibs with great success. Ny suggestion about what's going wrong? 😑
    • Bhakt 12 Oct 5:45
      Any feedback in 100th anniversary Mont Blanc green pens?
    • Glens pens 8 Oct 15:08
      @jordierocks94 i happen to have platinum preppy that has wrote like (bleep) since i bought it my second pen....is that something you would wish to practice on?
    • jordierocks94 4 Oct 6:26
      Hello all - New here. My Art studies have spilled me into the ft pen world where I am happily submerged and floating! I'm looking to repair some cheap pens that are starving for ink yet filled, and eventually get new nibs; and development of repair skills (an even longer learning curve than my art studies - lol). Every hobby needs a hobby, eh ...
    • The_Beginner 18 Sept 23:35
      horse notebooks if you search the title should still appear though it wont show you in your proflie
    • Jayme Brener 16 Sept 22:21
      Hi, guys. I wonder if somebody knows who manufactured the Coro fountain pens.
    • TheHorseNotebooks 16 Sept 13:11
      Hello, it's been ages for me since I was here last time. I had a post (http://www.fountainpennetwork...-notebooks/?view=getnewpost) but I see that it is no longer accessible. Is there anyway to retrieve that one?
    • Refujio Rodriguez 16 Sept 5:39
      I have a match stick simplomatic with a weidlich nib. Does anyone know anything about this pen?
    • The_Beginner 15 Sept 16:11
      dusty yes, glen welcome
    • Glens pens 11 Sept 1:22
      Hello, Im new to FPN I'm so happy to find other foutain penattics. collecting almost one year ,thought I would say hello to everyone.
    • DustyBin 8 Sept 14:34
      I haven't been here for ages... do I take it that private sales are no longer allowed? Also used to be a great place to sell and buy some great pens
    • Sailor Kenshin 1 Sept 12:37
      Lol…
    • JungleJim 1 Sept 1:55
      Perhaps it's like saying Beetlejuice 3 times to get that person to appear, though with @Sailor Kenshin you only have to say it twice?
    • Sailor Kenshin 31 Aug 21:06
      ?
    • Duffy 29 Aug 19:31
      @Sailor Kenshin @Sailor Kenshin
    • Seney724 26 Aug 22:07
    • Diablo 26 Aug 22:05
      Thank you so much, Seney724. I really appreciate your help!
    • Seney724 26 Aug 21:43
      I have no ties or relationship. Just a very happy customer. He is a very experienced Montblanc expert.
    • Seney724 26 Aug 21:42
      I strongly recommend Kirk Speer at https://www.penrealm.com/
    • Diablo 26 Aug 21:35
      @Seney724. The pen was recently disassembled and cleaned, but the nib and feed were not properly inserted into the holder. I'm in Maryland.
    • Diablo 26 Aug 21:32
      @Seney724. The nib section needs to be adjusted properly.
    • Seney724 26 Aug 18:16
      @Diablo. Where are you? What does it need?
    • Diablo 26 Aug 16:58
      Seeking EXPERIENCED, REPUTABLE service/repair for my 149. PLEASE help!!!
    • Penguincollector 19 Aug 19:42
      @Marta Val, reach out to @terim, who runs Peyton Street Pens and is very knowledgeable about Sheaffer pens
    • Marta Val 19 Aug 14:35
      Hello, could someone recommend a reliable venue: on line or brick and mortar in Fairfax, VA or Long Island, NY to purchase the soft parts and a converter to restore my dad's Sheaffer Legacy? please. Thanks a mill.
    • The_Beginner 18 Aug 2:49
      is there a guy who we can message to find a part for us with a given timelimit if so please let me know his name!
    • virtuoso 16 Aug 15:15
      what happene to the new Shaeffer inks?
    • Scribs 14 Aug 17:09
      fatehbajwa, in Writing Instruments, "Fountain Pens + Dip Pens First Stop" ?
    • fatehbajwa 14 Aug 12:17
      Back to FPN after 14 years. First thing I noticed is that I could not see a FS forum. What has changed? 🤔
    • Kika 5 Aug 10:22
      Are there any fountain pen collectors in Qatar?
    • T.D. Rabbit 31 July 18:58
      Ahh okay, thanks!
    • Scribs 29 July 18:51
      @ TDRabbit, even better would be in Creative Expressions area, subform The Write Stuff
    • T.D. Rabbit 29 July 11:40
      Okay, thanks!
    • JungleJim 29 July 0:46
      @T.D. Rabbit Try posting it in the "Chatter Forum". You have to be logged in to see it.
    • T.D. Rabbit 28 July 17:54
      Hello! Is there a thread anywhere 'round here where one can post self-composed poetry? If not, would it be alright if I made one? I searched on google, but to no avail...
    • OldFatDog 26 July 19:41
      I have several Parker Roller Ball & Fiber Tip refills in the original packaging. Where and how do I sell them? The couple that I've opened the ink still flowed when put to paper. Also if a pen would take the foller ball refill then it should take the fiber tip as well? Anyway it's been awhile and I'm want to take my message collection beyond the few pieces that I have... Meaning I don't have a Parker these refills will fit in 🙄
    • RegDiggins 23 July 12:40
      Recently was lucky enough to buy a pristine example of the CF crocodile ball with the gold plating. Then of course I faced the same problem we all have over the years ,of trying to find e refill. Fortunately I discovered one here in the U.K. I wonder if there are other sources which exist in other countries, by the way they were not cheap pen
    • The_Beginner 20 July 20:35
      Hows it going guys i have a code from pen chalet that i wont use for 10% off and it ends aug 31st RC10AUG its 10% off have at it fellas
    • T.D. Rabbit 19 July 9:33
      Somewhat confusing and off-putting ones, as said to me by my very honest friends. I don't have an X account though :<
    • piano 19 July 8:41
      @The Devil Rabbit what kind of? Let’s go to X (twitter) with #inkdoodle #inkdoodleFP
    • Mort639 17 July 1:03
      I have a Conway Stewart Trafalgar set. It was previously owned by actor Russell Crowe and includes a letter from him. Can anyone help me with assessing its value?
    • Sailor Kenshin 15 July 17:41
      There must be a couple of places here to share artworks.
    • T.D. Rabbit 15 July 12:45
      Hullo! I really like making ink doodles, and I'd like to share a few. Anywhere on the site I can do so? Thanks in advance!
    • Sailor Kenshin 6 July 17:58
      Pay It Forward.
    • AndWhoDisguisedAs 6 July 16:59
      where would I post wanting to trade bottle of ink straight up?
    • JungleJim 3 July 16:14
      @Bill Wood-- just look at the message below you that was posted by @PAKMAN. He is a moderator here on the forums.
    • Bill Wood 2 July 14:24
      Just checking on a classified section and where we are with that. Many thanks. Bill
    • PAKMAN 29 June 1:57
      @inky1 The software for the classified stopped working with the forum. So no we don't have a sales section anymore at FPN
    • inky1 28 June 16:49
      I am not sure which is the classifieds section
    • inky1 28 June 16:46
      IIs there a Fountain Pen Sales board anywhere on here?
    • dave c 25 June 19:01
      Hi. Anybody ever heard about a Royal Puck Pen. Very small but good looking.
    • Eppie_Matts 23 June 19:25
      Thanks! I've just ordered some #6's to experiment with.
    • Al-fresco 21 June 12:11
      @Eppie_Matts Shouldn't be a problem - I've just put a Bock #6 Titanium into a La Grande Bellezza section. Went straight in without any problem.
    • Curiousone11 21 June 4:35
      Any recommendations on anyone who specializes in original pen patents?
    • Eppie_Matts 20 June 1:32
      Hi all - I'm new to experimenting with pens and nibs. Can I put a bock 6 on a Pineider? Thanks!
    • penned in 16 June 17:33
      Hi, I'm new to this forum and was wondering where is the best place to sell a Montblanc ballpoint pen? Are ballpoints allowed here? It's a beautiful pen that deserves a great listing. Thanks.
    • ChrisUrbane 9 June 3:16
      I havent logged in here for a while. I have moved and when I try to change my location on my profile, when I go to save it, it sais 'page not found' and that I do not have authority to change that.
    • Dlj 6 June 20:19
      I am looking for someone who can repair a Waterman Preface ballpoint that won’t stay together
    • Penguincollector 30 May 14:59
      I just noticed that the oppsing team of the game I watched last night had a player named Biro in their lineup. He must be part of Marsell the oily magician’s cadre
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